The Spectator

Would Richard Wagner have approved of the Wagner Group?

[Getty Images] 
issue 02 September 2023

Wagnerian exile

Would Richard Wagner have approved of the Wagner Group? While he is believed to have harboured anti-Semitic views and his music later became an inspiration for Adolf Hitler, the young Wagner was a left-wing activist. In 1849, in spite of serving with the Saxon court in Dresden, he joined an uprising against Prussian rule. He is believed to have been involved in making and distributing grenades and to have acted as a lookout. Several of his associates were killed or arrested and sentenced to death after the uprising failed, but Wagner fled to Switzerland. His exile had a happier outcome than that of Yevgeny Prigozhin, and he was able to return to Dresden 13 years later when a ban on him was lifted.

Grounded

A technical snag at the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) HQ in Hampshire led to 500 flights being cancelled on Monday. How many flights does NATS handle?

– According to the Civil Aviation Authority there were 2.214m

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in